EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Age Regulations

Bill Rammell: Guidance on the vocational training aspects of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations is available on the DTI website. It is aimed at, amongst others, providers of further and adult education. The guidance makes it clear that age related practices, such as age related fee concessions, may be objectively justified where they are a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. It is for providers to produce evidence of such objective justification if called upon to do so, or to take their own legal advice if necessary. Guidance on objective justification is also available on page 30 of the ACAS guidance on the Age regulations.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Health (Performance Targets)

Ben Bradshaw: I have set Animal Health the following Performance Targets for 2007-08 split between Strategic targets in eight areas and Operational targets in four areas.
	STRATEGIC TARGETS:
	Leadership and our ability to manage change
	1. To implement a new Operations Management Structure and keep management capacity under review
	2. To implement succession planning and talent management schemes
	3. To develop and state values and behaviours fit for the future
	Professional skills and veterinary capacity
	4. To implement plans for professional and technical training in specific skill areas
	5. To implement the Veterinary and Technical Development Pathway
	6. Implement phase one of the Official Veterinarians Reform Programme; begin pilots in April 2007 and (subject to meeting success criteria) extend pilots in year
	Transforming delivery capacity
	7. Complete solution confirmation and design stages of the Business Reform Programme
	8. Complete the design, development, planning and implementation stages of the Contact Management module and the planning and pre- implementation preparatory stages of the TB and Brucella module of the programme
	Maintaining and improving readiness and resilience
	9. Conduct a rigorous assessment of current response capability, including immediate mobilisation capability, identify current gaps in field readiness and develop and implement an Action Plan for improvement
	Developing an Operations Strategy
	10. Develop the organisation's Operations Strategy by:
	Establishing a Guidance Programme
	Establishing an Investigations Programme
	Document the enforcement hierarchy and review enforcement policy and efficacy
	Working with others
	11. Agree and implement collaborative working with the Rural Payments Agency
	12. Collaborate with others to develop the e-portal Whole Farm Approach
	13. To actively engage in the development of policy with policy customers
	Quality Assurance
	14. Develop and implement quality assurance arrangements for report case work and bovine TB testing
	15. Pilot the development of private practice quality assurance schemes in the Official Veterinarians Reform Programme
	Implementing the animal health and welfare strategy for Great Britain
	16. We will review and refresh working relationships with local authorities
	OPERATIONAL TARGETS
	Bovine TB
	17. To ensure that at least 97 per cent. of blood samples submitted in the year for gamma-interferon tests are of a satisfactory condition. Where submitted samples are rejected by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), to work with them to investigate the reasons for failure. During the year, to develop and implement refinements to any stages in the collection, storage and transport process under our direct control that have a limiting influence on the proportion of successfully completed tests, and to issue instructions to ensure that consistent standards are followed throughout the agency
	18. Ensure that blood samples are collected for no less than 95 per cent. of herds/ animals for which application of the gamma-interferon test is compulsory
	19. Ensure that 65 per cent. of at risk TB herds are traced and tested within nine weeks of confirmation of the original test result. Within this timeframe, to prioritise the testing and tracing of cattle moved to three and four year parishes. Separately, we will lead discussions with TB Policy colleagues to identify and test other options for prioritising tracings work, for future implementation and monitoring
	20. Issue movement restrictions on 98 per cent. of high-risk herds within two working days of confirmation of the TB test result (reactors). Where TB is suspected from lesions identified at slaughter, to ensure restriction notices are placed on 98 per cent. high-risk animals and herds within two working days of receipt of notification from the Meat Hygiene Service
	Exotic disease outbreaks: Readiness and Resilience
	21. Enhance emergency preparedness by planning and delivering a large- scale exercise on classical swine fever by the end of March 2008 involving Animal Health, DEFRA, the Devolved Administrations, the industry and operational partners. Plan, prepare and deliver a programme of local exotic disease exercises in Animal Health Divisional Offices, involving operational partners
	22. Undertake an assessment of the readiness and resilience of the organisation's corporate centre through the application of the management assurance scheme, ERMAS
	23. Develop and implement plans for professional and technical training to support those tasks critical to operational readiness and resilience
	Animal Health and Welfare Strategy for Great Britain
	24. Building on the 2006-07 objectives, strengthen engagement with the Government Office Regions and key regional stakeholders to facilitate the development of preliminary regional Action Plans for the implementation of the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy for Great Britain in the regions
	Finance and Efficiency
	25. Continue to work with Policy colleagues to implement the cumulative £4.2 million Gershon efficiency savings agreed with the Department for the 2004 Comprehensive Spending Review period.
	Further details are given in the Animal Health Business Plan for 2007-08, a copy of which will be provided to the Library of the House.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum Seekers (Language Testing)

Liam Byrne: I have made an authorisation under section 19D of the Race Relations Act 1976 as amended, to enable the Secretary of State to request that asylum applicants claiming to be of specific nationalities submit to language analysis. This replaces the Race Relations (Immigration and Asylum) (No. 3) Authorisation 2001, which is revoked.
	The condition for making such a request is that the person claims to be a Somali or an Eritrean. The Secretary of State may take a refusal to submit to testing into account when determining whether an applicant has assisted in establishing the facts of his case.
	It is known that some applicants for asylum claim to be of a nationality or from a region or grouping that is not their own for the purpose of gaining residence in this country on an unfounded basis. The authorisation will assist the Secretary of State to ascertain the extent of this abuse, as well as to make decisions in individual cases.
	This authorisation will be of four months duration. I will review the continued need for the authorisation before its expiry.
	I am placing copies of the authorisation in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

PRIME MINISTER

Cabinet Committees

Tony Blair: On 29 March 2007, Official Report, columns 133-35WS, I announced details of machinery of Government changes to the Home Office and the then Department for Constitutional Affairs. Alongside this, I announced the creation of new Cabinet Committees on Crime and the Criminal Justice System and on Security and Terrorism. I am now announcing the membership and terms of reference of the new Committees.
	Responsibility for the National Offender Management Service, and for criminal law and sentencing policy, moved from the Home Office to the new Ministry of Justice on 9 May. Public protection and crime reduction will continue to be the core focus of Government policy. The new Ministerial Committee on Crime and the Criminal Justice System (CJS) will take this forward.
	The role of the Home Secretary and the capabilities of the Home Office in facing the terrorist threat have been strengthened and a new Office of Security and Counter Terrorism has been established in the Home Office. The Committee on Security and Terrorism (ST) will oversee this work, including international terrorism and counter radicalisation. It will be supported by two sub-Committees: Counter Radicalisation (ST(CR)); and, Protection and Resilience (ST(PR)). The existing sub-Committees on International Terrorism (DOP(IT)) and Protective Security and Resilience (DOP(IT)(PSR)) will therefore no longer operate.
	The list of Cabinet Committees, which is available in the Libraries of both Houses and on the Cabinet Office website, will be updated in due course to reflect these changes.
	Ministerial Committee On Crime And The Criminal Justice System (Cjs)
	Composition
	Prime Minister (Chair)
	Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State (Deputy Chair)
	Chancellor of the Exchequer
	Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal
	Secretary of State for the Home Department
	Secretary of State for Health
	Minister for the Cabinet Office and for Social Exclusion (and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster)
	Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
	Secretary of State for Education and Skills
	Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and Minister for Women
	Minister without Portfolio
	Chief Whip (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)
	Attorney-General
	The Secretaries of State for Wales, for Northern Ireland, and for Scotland, Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council, and Lords Chief Whip and Captain of the Gentleman-at-Arms receive papers. Other Ministers may be invited to attend as necessary.
	Terms of Reference
	"To set and oversee the delivery of the Government's strategy for reducing crime and reoffending, for reforming the Criminal Justice System, and for policing."
	Ministerial Committee On Security And Terrorism (ST)
	Composition
	Prime Minister (Chair)
	Secretary of State for the Home Department (Deputy Chair(1))
	Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State
	Chancellor of the Exchequer
	Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal
	Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
	Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
	Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and Minister for Women
	Secretary of State for Defence
	Secretary of State for Transport
	Attorney-General
	Other Ministers will be invited to attend as necessary. The Heads of the Security and Intelligence Agencies, Chair of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Terrorism and Allied Matters Committee) and the Permanent Secretary, Intelligence, Security and Resilience will attend as required.
	(1)Other ministers such as the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government may deputise as appropriate.
	Terms of Reference
	"To develop the Government's strategy for reducing the risk to the UK and its interests overseas from terrorism, and to drive forward its delivery; and to consider related security issues as appropriate."
	Ministerial Committee On Security And Terrorism Ministerial Sub-Committee On Counter Radicalisation (ST(CR))
	Composition
	Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and Minister for Women
	(Chair)
	Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State
	Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal
	Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
	Secretary of State for the Home Department
	Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
	Minister for the Cabinet Office and for Social Exclusion (and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster)
	Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
	Secretary of State for International Development
	Secretary of State for Education and Skills
	Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
	Chief Secretary to the Treasury
	Attorney-General
	Other Ministers will be invited to attend as necessary. The Heads of the Security and Intelligence Agencies; the Permanent Secretary, Intelligence, Security and Resilience; the Permanent Secretary Communities and Local Government; and the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers will attend as required.
	Terms of Reference
	"To develop the Government's strategy for countering radicalisation and to drive forward its delivery, and to report to the Ministerial Committee on Security and Terrorism."
	Ministerial Committee On Security And Terrorism Sub-Committee On Protection And Resilience (ST)(PR))
	Composition
	Secretary of State for the Home Department (Chair)
	Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Deputy Chair)
	Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
	Secretary of State for Health
	Minister for the Cabinet Office and for Social Exclusion (and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster)
	Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and Secretary of State for Wales
	Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and Minister for Women
	Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
	Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	Secretary of State for Defence
	Secretary of State for Transport, and Secretary of State for Scotland
	Chief Secretary to the Treasury
	Minister for Security, Counter Terrorism and Police
	Other Ministers, the Heads of the Security and Intelligence Agencies, the Permanent Secretary, Intelligence, Security and Resilience and the President of the Association of the Chief Police Officers will be invited to attend as necessary.
	Terms of Reference
	"To develop the Government's strategy:
	(i) for reducing the vulnerability of the United Kingdom and to British interests overseas; and
	(ii) for improving our capabilities for managing the consequences of major terrorist or other disruptive incidents in the United Kingdom;
	and to drive forward the delivery of these strategies and report to the Ministerial Committee on Security and Terrorism."

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

National Minimum Wage/Employment Agency Standards (Enforcement)

Jim Fitzpatrick: Since 1997, our approach to the UK labour market has been based on combining social justice with economic prosperity so that businesses grow and employment expands, delivering opportunity for all. Last year's "Success at Work" strategy paper set out the next stage of our approach. In particular, it emphasised the need for a stable and proportionate regulatory framework: one in which complying with the law is simple and straightforward and where individuals get the rights to which they are entitled, supported by an effective enforcement and penalties regime.
	We are today announcing a consultation about two key elements of the regulatory framework—the national minimum wage (NMW) and the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate—focusing on measures to promote compliance and improve fairness both for workers and compliant businesses.
	We are proposing a new strategy to deal with cases of underpayment of the NMW, based on a fairer way of dealing with arrears, and a simpler, more effective penalty regime to deter non-compliance.
	We are also consulting on strengthening the penalties regime for offences committed against employment agency legislation and clearer investigative powers for the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate. By making it more difficult for the small minority of rogue agencies to cut corners at the expense of the reputable side of the industry, these changes should benefit both workers and most agencies.
	From today, copies of the consultation are available at: http://www.dti.gov.uk/consultations/

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Report

John Hutton: I am today able to announce the publication of the Department for Work and Pensions departmental report. The report provides details of the Department's performance in 2006-07 against its public service agreement targets and sets out the Department's expenditure plans for 2007-08.
	Copies of the report are available from the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office.